MalakarConsultingFree, practical how-to guides for importers, small sellers and buyers, plus compliance and certification. Each one answers a specific question and points to the matching self-serve report or kit if you'd rather have it done for you. See also the full Products & Services catalog.
How to calculate your IEEPA tariff refund, entry by entry
Build your own entry-by-entry IEEPA refund schedule from CBP data, and see where CAPE and protest deadlines fit in.
CMMC Level 1 self-assessment checklist for small defense contractors
A working checklist by control category, what evidence to keep, and common gaps at small contractors.
WOSB vs HUBZone certification: which documents you actually need
Side-by-side comparison of what each SBA certification asks for, and where applications commonly get rejected.
How to document hail damage for a Texas homeowners insurance claim
What to photograph, how to organize it, and a general Texas prompt-payment timeline overview.
How to protest your Texas property tax appraisal, step by step
Deadlines to check on your own notice, evidence to gather, filing Form 50-132, and a hearing script.
How to monitor a trademark yourself using USPTO search
Set up your own recurring USPTO search, spot similar filings, and track your mark's maintenance deadlines.
CBAM reporting basics for US exporters
What non-EU exporters of steel, aluminum, cement, fertilizer, hydrogen or electricity need to send their EU declarant.
What goes in a DOT driver qualification file
The full 49 CFR Part 391 checklist, a 12-month expiry calendar, and what an auditor asks for first.
How to write an Amazon listing that converts
Structuring your title, bullets, description and backend terms, plus the compliance pass before you publish.
ISO 9001 documents a small shop actually needs
Which documents the 2015 revision actually requires, mapped to the clause structure, and how to build a gap checklist.
How to calculate landed cost for an Amazon FBA import
Every cost line from factory quote to Amazon warehouse, with a worked per-unit example and current customs fees.
How to check whether you are owed an IEEPA tariff refund
A checklist to find out whether you paid IEEPA duties, which entries qualify for CAPE, who can file, and what timing to expect.
How to read a commercial invoice to find the right HTS code
What CBP requires on a commercial invoice and how to get from an invoice line to a ten-digit HTS code.
How to verify a supplier in China before you send a deposit
A step-by-step verification process: license and credit code, factory vs trader, bank match, audit, samples and payment terms.
Incoterms cheat sheet: how FOB, CIF, DAP and DDP change your landed cost
Who pays for freight, insurance, export and import clearance under each Incoterms 2020 rule, and how it changes your cost.
MPF and HMF customs fees explained, with a calculator you can do by hand
How MPF and HMF work, the FY2026 and FY2027 minimum and maximum, worked examples and ways to avoid paying the minimum repeatedly.
Reorder point formula: how to set it with lead time and safety stock
The reorder point formula with worked examples, z-scores for service levels, and how long import lead times change the math.
RFQ template and how to level supplier bids so you compare like with like
What to include in an RFQ and a worked example of leveling three bids to landed cost before choosing.
Safety stock vs cycle stock: what each one is and how to size them
What cycle stock and safety stock are, how to size each, and a worked example of average inventory and carrying cost.
Section 232 steel and aluminum derivative duty, explained for importers
The April 2026 changes in plain English: full-value duty, the 15% metal-weight test, rate tiers and the records you need.
Supplier scorecard KPIs: OTIF, PPM and the metrics that actually change behavior
Exact formulas for OTIF, defect PPM and lead-time variance, plus weighting, thresholds and how to run the review.
U.S. customs bond basics: continuous vs single-entry, and how the amount is set
What a customs bond is, continuous vs single-entry, how the amount is set, and how to budget for it.